He received a 30% tax credit from the federal government and a 10% cash rebate from the state.

It cost him $16,000 -- a savings of $10,000.

This year, a federal 30% cash rebate through the U.S. Treasury Department comes to an end. And the 30% federal tax credit program will conclude at the end of 2016.

These incentives, created as part of the federal stimulus package a few years ago, were designed to create a vibrant solar energy market. Along with the federal program, 29 states offered incentives. Many of those state programs are also becoming victims of budget cuts.

In Florida, Michael Hoffman, a taxation professor, hoped that between the federal tax credit and the state rebate, he'd be able to better afford a solar energy system.

But a computer error in the state's application process actually cost him $20,000 more than he had planned on paying.

Hoffman blamed "poor record-keeping" on the state's end.

"They took more applications than they had money for," he said.

"If we'd known that our cost was going to be $33,000 instead of $13,000, that would have been a fairly hard one to sell to ourselves just for the ecological, environmental warm and fuzzies."

Sales of rooftop solar panel installations jumped 67% last year, compared with 2009, according to the Solar Energies Industry Association.